Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to viewing platforms, and more particularly, to a viewing platform for a vessel adapted to facilitate viewing an environment external to the vessel from an internal environment thereof, for example an aircraft viewing platform system for passengers and method for passengers to mount or be seated on the platform and method to control the motion of the platform and a pedestal thereof.
Description of the Related Art
Transportation vessel operators and manufacturers, such as airlines and aircraft manufacturers typically search for new ways to improve the travelers' traveling or flying experience to help reduce the boredom of long duration flights. They are also in constant search of finding more creative ways to generate more revenue. Many airlines today provide on-board entertainment in the form of video in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. On some commercial aircrafts, a video camera is installed externally, typically on the tail of the aircraft to allow the passengers to watch the external view of the aircraft from the monitor screens located at their seats. Such entertainment is however not a realistic experience of the external environment, nor is it of a quality to optimize the passenger's viewing experience. Generally, the display monitors broadcasting the external view is small and limited in resolution. Frequently, such monitors malfunction or experience technical difficulty.
Existing devices related to the design of aircraft canopies specifically relate to the canopy structure or mechanisms related to canopy operations. They include method of installing a canopy and some relate to emergency exit systems.
Such devices however lack having a system that enables passengers to view an external environment from within a vessel such as an aircraft or other vessel which during travel experiences demanding conditions, such as high speed foreign object impacts and/or an environmental differential between the interior and the exterior thereof, for example a pressure differential. For example, existing devices do not allow airline or other aircraft passengers the ability to view the external environment of the aircraft.
In addition some prior designs relate to aircraft elevator or conveyor systems. These systems are mainly used to carry passengers, food, drinks, and/or cargo from the ground level into the aircraft. Such systems mainly operate and secure within the aircraft without providing external environment viewing during travel.
Certain other viewing platforms such as military aircraft bombers having gunner bays, which include a gun turret and a canopy, particularly relate to military type aircrafts and since these canopies have openings to allow the gun to protrude outside of canopy, they are not pressurized. Furthermore, they do not provide flexibility in viewing experience. These designs therefore cannot be used on pressurized aircraft. In addition these systems do not include a user-friendly method of accessing the platform for the common person. This is because they were designed for military personnel who are generally assumed to be capable of climbing onto such platforms with minimal means.